Councillor Profiles

Flinders Council consists of seven Councillors elected by the community during Council Elections. All Councillors are elected for a four-year term, including the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who must be elected Councillors to be eligible for these positions.

For information on past Mayors and Councillors, please contact the Council Office.

Mayor Annie Revie

First elected:

2018

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Revie feels deeply honoured to be elected by the Flinders Community as Councillor and Mayor. She enjoys communicating with people and sees it as a privilege to actively listen. She believes that truly listening is one of the greatest gifts any person can give to another and, in this role, to the Community at large. Council has many important decisions to make over this term – decisions that will affect the lives of Councillors and the lives of the Community. Councillor Revie believes the process of decision-making is not to be taken lightly, that it requires hard work and strong commitment to facilitate the best possible outcomes. Her greatest hope is that this Council will succeed and will leave a legacy of positive achievement in line with community, understanding, hopes and achievement. Councillor Revie believes that the councillor team wishes to serve Flinders Municipality and that her leadership will enable them to do so.

Committees of Council: Furneaux Group Aviation Special Committee (Chair); Furneaux Group Shipping Special Committee (Chair); Furneaux Community Health Special Committee (Chair); and the General Manager’s Performance Review Committee (Chair).

External Organisations (Council Representative): Northern Tasmania Development Corporation – Local Government Committee and the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

Contact Details

Deputy Mayor David Williams

First elected:

2006

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Williams is very involved with the health and wellbeing of the community as well as with seeing that the use of community assets are maximised.

He has a been an ardent critic of the increasing level of State Government interference and red-tape that now engulfs much of Council business, taking away from on-the-ground service delivery and community engagement. The impact that bureaucratic interference has on local residents and lifestyles motivates Councillor Williams' efforts for change.

While a passionate advocate politically, it is Councillor Williams' endeavours within the community, promoting health and recreation, that he is especially regarded for. A leader in the islands' golfing and running communities, his recent run from Launceston to Hobart to raise funds for cancer demonstrates his “take life head on” approach.

Councillor Williams enjoys Flinders Island's stunning natural environment, the taste of the local wines and his home-grown veggies. He can often be seen running along one of the amazing bush tracks at dawn or dusk, or teeing off from the Whitemark Golf Course for a brisk round.

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Councillor Sharon Blyth

First elected:

2018

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Blyth was born and raised on Flinders Island and brought up three children on-island as well. She is passionate about her island home and keeping it the way it is, but at the same time supports and encourages new small business/enterprises on the Island. Councillor Blyth is also very enthusiastic about ensuring that we remember the animals that served in all wars, and accordingly made two very moving tributes to them in 2018, once at the Dawn Service and again at the Remembrance Day Service. Along with Councillor Williams she likes to promote a healthy lifestyle and participated in the Pub to Pub 26km run, the Flinders 5km walk and the Lions International Le Tour de Flinders 26km bike ride in 2018, of which she also volunteered her time to help advertise and promote. She has spent most of her working life in retail including 13 years at Webster with 9 of those as Store Manager, both on Flinders Island and on Tasmania mainland, and now works at Roberts Ltd where she has been since 2011.

Committees of Council: Furneaux Group Aviation Special Committee and Furneaux Community Health Special Committee.

Contact Details

Councillor Aaron Burke

First elected:

Term expires:

Councillor Burke is thankful to have been elected as Councillor for the Flinders Municipality and congratulates his fellow Councillors and previous Councillors for their contribution to local government and thanks the people who supported me. Councillor Burke brings 18 years of business experience to the council table, having been involved in the starting up, marketing, communication, finance management, human resource management and client interface required to keep his own business developing. In 2016, his partner and two two sons were privileged to be able to purchase ‘Happy Valley’ farm, which has become their new passion. Councillor Burke is invested in Flinders Island and wants to see a sustainable future for this generation and generations to come. He loves the Island and what it stands for - the mate ship and tight knit community that exists has always been a draw card for him. Councillor Burke looks forward to working with his fellow Councillors as a team to support the Community and would like to work on bridging the gap between Community and Council and being more transparent in decisions and actions going forward.

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Councillor Vanessa Grace

First elected:

2018

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Grace’s family has a long history on the islands and loves her island home. She hopes to be a part of a Council that makes effective and sound economic decisions that bring the Community greater outcomes. The Furneaux Group is very lucky to have a reliable shipping and air service and with the Telstra 4G upgrade coming online early 2019, hopefully it will make it easier to do business on-island. Councillor Grace is very conscious that more enterprise is needed on the Island and considers it a huge loss that the local abattoir closed and meat is now imported in small plastic containers. Councillor Grace runs 3,000 acres consisting of Angus cattle, fat lambs and a wagyu enterprise. Over the years she’s assisted the Flinders Island Show Society, Quick Shear committee and Landcare. She enjoys gardening and her happy place is somewhere out around the islands with a fishing rod in her hand - the feel of the open water, the smell that is the sea and the appreciation of just how lucky we are to live here. She looks forward to being part of the Whitemark beautification committee when reestablished. Councillor Grace hopes that the business decisions Council makes will enable people who want to call this place their home, to do so, while retaining the Island’s pristine and stunning environment.

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Councillor Peter Rhodes

First elected:

2011

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Rhodes was born in Whitemark and will be buried at Lady Barron. He is a contrarian and a Gemini and often brings a unique perspective to debate and discussion around the Council table. Councillor Rhodes is a qualified Trainer and Assessor, and has a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management from Macquarie University. After university he worked in community development before joining the Australian public service where he worked for 30 years, retiring in 2009. From 1997 to 2000, he was the IT Manager at Government House in Canberra. He now has a small stud cattle farm on Flinders Island and provides computer skills training and support locally.

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Councillor Rachel Summers

First elected:

2018

Term expires:

2022

Councillor Summers is committed to serving the Flinders community to the best of her ability with energy, commitment and integrity. She believes that local government should be open and accountable in the way it conducts its business and that the Community should have every opportunity to participate in council and be part of the team. With big challenges ahead fresh ideas are needed, not negative politics. Councillor Summers looks forward to working alongside her Council colleagues to deliver the outcomes that the community deserve including: improving our economy for long term sustainability and independence; creation of permanent employment opportunities; affordable housing in order to encourage population growth; low-impact sustainable tourism, for business and the development of new industries and raising our profile at a state and federal level to increase government support while maintaining our independence. Councillor Summers believes Flinders Island is an amazing place to live and the challenge is to maintain the best attributes of the Furneaux Group, while promoting the islands as a place to live safely and sustainably, work in worthwhile and productive employment, and access great arts, learning, and leisure opportunities.